Recreation vehicles, trailers, boats, trucks having sleeper compartments are provided with radio and television antennas that receive broadcast signals. The antennas may be mounted on the roof or other exterior location on the vehicle to improve signal reception. Radio and television antennas may be enclosed in an antenna housing. Due to wind resistance, the intermediate mast may be designed to have a narrow cross-section. The top portion of the antenna housing may be an aerodynamically shaped circular housing, a square housing, a wing-shaped housing, or the like.
Wireless routers provide Internet transmissions over a local area network (LAN) that frequently follow a standard known as WiFi. Campgrounds and truck stops may provide LAN routers as a service for customers. Available LAN systems have limited range and the walls of a vehicle substantially reduce the effective range for LAN transmissions that are normally designed to be indoor devices used to connect computers and other internet connected devices.
Long-Term Evolution (LTE) refers to a standard for using high-speed wireless communications for mobile devices and data terminals based upon Global Systems for Mobile Communications/Enhanced Data Rates for GSM (GSM/EDGE) and Universal Mobile Telecommunication System/High Speed Packet Rate (UMTS/HSPA) technologies. Generally, LTE increases capacity and speed of wireless communication for mobile devices.
LTE systems use a different radio interface that are combined with core network improvements made in the fourth generation (4G) cellular networks for data speed improvements. LTE systems are used to improve cellular communications where cell reception is limited. LTE systems include an antenna that may be mounted on the roof of a vehicle for better signal reception and are connected to a booster inside the vehicle that amplifies the signal. However, attaching a separate LTE antenna, LAN antenna, radio antenna and television antenna on a vehicle is undesirable because each installed antenna may require a separate mount, requires additional labor, increases wind resistance, creates a potential water leak path, and is visually objectionable.
Vehicle manufacturers attach and connect cables to radio and television antennas mounted on the vehicle at a factory when the walls and ceiling are accessible because nearly all vehicles are provided with a radio and a television. LAN and LTE devices are not pre-installed because the added cost of the antennas or LAN router or LTE booster is not warranted if the customer does not require LAN or LTE reception. But for customers who want improved reception, adding LAN and LTE antennas after the vehicle is manufactured increase costs due to the need to disassemble walls and ceiling panels to run wiring or cables from a wall receptacle to the roof mounted antennas.
When cables are routed through the roof or walls of a vehicle, generally a hole is cut in the roof or wall and the cable is pulled through the hole into a base of the antenna mount. Caulking or on another type of sealant is applied around the base. If there are any gaps in the caulking or a crack develops in the caulking, water may leak into the hole in the roof or wall and may cause interior damage.
This disclosure is directed to solving the above problems and other problems as summarized below.